Page Contents:
Rebecca Wade - Peggy Waide - Janet Lane Walters




Bookbug Review

Wade, Rebecca - AN UNLIKELY OUTLAW  (Avon - 1999) (3+)
Setting: Texas, 1875
Jasmine Jamison is a tomboy who is always in trouble because of her outrageous schemes. She taught herself to ride and shoot and she's been running wild for years, but now her father has given her an ultimatum. Jasmine has one month to marry, or she will be sent away from him and the ranch she loves. Jasmine has a secret ambition, however. She wants to become an outlaw.

When Jasmine realizes her father is serious, she chooses the handsome stranger in town, Brody McClintock, as a potential husband. Thinking that a drifter like him would soon abandon her, she would be off the hook as far as marriage. But things don't work out the way she plans. Jasmine's father catches her and Brody in a compromising situation and a shotgun wedding follows. She tries to run away to join an outlaw band, but that turns out to be a bad scheme, too. How was she to know that Brody was a Texas Ranger and an honorable man? Jasmine isn't sure how to get rid of him—until one day she realizes that she really doesn't want him to leave.

Rebecca Wade makes her debut with this spirited western romp. The feisty heroine yearns for her freedom and the chance to become an outlaw, but she soon realizes she only wants to settle down with the handsome hero. Misunderstandings complicate the burgeoning love between them, but if you don't mind "the big misunderstanding" plot, AN UNLIKELY OUTLAW is a light and enjoyable read. ~Marilyn Heyman for Bookbug on the Web



Bookbug Review

Waide, Peggy - POTENT CHARMS  (Leisure - 3/00) (4+)
Setting: London, 1816
Having lost the family's Georgia plantation, feisty and outspoken Phoebe Rafferty has traveled to England to find a husband. If she should fail, she will lose her mother's fortune by forfeit; and according to the will, she has only six weeks to complete this mission. She desperately wants a love match like that of her parents, but time is running out. Under the eagle eye of her martinet aunt, she attends party after party, finding no one that suits her, until one evening...

In an attempt to escape the hoards of men surrounding her, Phoebe slips into a private study and stumbles across an extremely handsome man who is also hiding out. He introduces himself as Stephen Roland Lambert, Duke of Badrick, and after some verbal sparring, their conversation takes on a much friendlier tone. Phoebe explains her husband-hunting predicament and Stephen wishes her luck. As she is about to leave, figuring she has nothing to lose, she throws out a challenge—she may hunt him!

Stephen is dumbfounded by Phoebe's parting words. He definitely wants her, but as a mistress—not a wife. Several generations back, a gypsy cursed future Badrick marriages; and since that time, tragedy has struck each and every one. After losing two wives of his own, Stephen has absolutely no intention of ever marrying again. The dukedom and curse will die with him since there will be no heirs. Upon his next meeting with Phoebe, he states his proposition, which intrigues yet infuriates her. Yes, she wants him, but as a loving husband—not a lover. Of course, Stephen is surprised at her refusal, but he is not going to give up what he wants—and neither is Phoebe!

POTENT CHARMS, Peggy Waide's second historical novel, is one of the most sizzling and fun Regency-set romances I've read. Strong characterizations add dimension to the "boy chases girl until SHE catches him" plot, and Stephen and Phoebe are a hoot!  He is arrogant, overly confident, and patronizing, but still extremely likable and charming. She is outspoken, unconventional, and determined, yet enchanting and alluring. Their objectives differ, but they both practice their POTENT CHARMS trying to get what they want, and find they are truly perfect for each other. I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone who wants a heartwarming love story that brings many a smile and satisfied sigh. ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web



Bookbug Review

Walters, Janet Lane - MINOR OPPOSITION, A  (E-book; New Concepts Publishing - 1999) (2+)
Succumbing to illness and professional burnout, Laurel Richmond resigns from her position as a field nurse for an international relief agency, then catches the next available flight out of the third-world country where she had recently been assigned. Feeling overwhelmed and alone, Laurel knows she needs time and distance to plan some sort of a future for herself. Returning to the only place she'd ever felt even marginally "at home" seems to be her most viable option. Orphaned at a young age, and essentially raised by the bank personnel who still manage her large trust fund, Laurel's early life had been spent in posh boarding schools and elite summer camps. The only exceptions were a few vacations in Eastlake, where she visited the warm and compassionate family of her college roommate, Megan. Now, finding herself desperately in need of both healing for her body and some direction for her chaotic life, it's only natural that she is drawn back to that small Pennsylvania community.

Dr. Alexander Carter is doing his level best to provide a safe, secure haven for himself and his five-year-old son Johnny. Except for his former father-in-law's unwelcome attempts to gain custody of the boy, life has been on a fairly even keel since the death of his spoiled and adulterous wife. If he suspects that his sister, Megan, has matchmaking on her mind when she asks him to pick up her friend at the airport, those thoughts disappear as Laurel follows him through the terminal. Realizing that she is seriously ill, Alex takes her to the local hospital where he is a staff physician. After recovering from an acute phase of pneumonia, Laurel could be released from the hospital, but with Megan still out of town, she has no place to go. Alex grudgingly offers to put her up in his guest house, but he makes it clear that the arrangement is only temporary. No matter what his sister (and very soon his son) thinks about Laurel's suitability as a wife, there is absolutely no room for another spoiled, rich woman in his life. An obvious attraction develops between the two; however, many misconceptions and conflicts, both inside and outside the relationship, need to be dealt with before Alex and Laurel can have any hope of finding that elusive happily-ever-after.

A MINOR OPPOSITION is a fast-paced story for those readers who enjoy a medical/nursing theme. I found the emergency-room scenes, after the heroine accepts a newly created job as triage nurse at the hospital, to be exceptionally well done. They were so vividly written that it was easy to visualize the action. In those same scenes, however, Laurel developed into a "super nurse" after only a few hours in a brand-new position. Not only could she rank severity of injury and illness, she could also treat and almost cure it, which strained credibility. The book did have exciting moments though, and it held my interest fairly well until the last few chapters. It was then, as the story raced toward a rather predictable conclusion, that I had difficulty with the plotting. A few twists and turns that had only been hinted at were so quickly developed, then resolved in such a hurried fashion that by the end I was checking to see if I'd missed reading a few pages. While I can't wholeheartedly recommend A MINOR OPPOSITION, the book does have redeeming moments and Janet Lane Walters is a promising new romance author. ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web




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